Bob Schieffer Clashes With David Axelrod Over Whether Obama Team Is Running Positive Campaign

» 2 comments

Obama campaign advisor David Axelrod sat down with Bob Schieffer on Face the Nation today to defend President Obama's record and bash Mitt Romney's. But Schieffer brought up some of the more negative campaign tactics being used by Obama in contrast to saying in 2008 he wanted to run on ideas, not negative campaigns. Schieffer asked Axelrod why, now, the campaign has gotten rather negative on their side, with ads going after Romney instead of touting his accomplishments.

RELATED: Mother Jones Columnist Is Absolutely Right: Negative Campaigns Are Good For Politics

Schieffer was specifically referring to the Bain Capital ads being lobbed at Romney by the Obama campaign. Axelrod told Schieffer that most of the ads the campaign has run have been positive ones that have not gone after Romney. Schieffer almost bewilderedly asked Axelrod if he thought they've been running a positive campaign. Axelrod said, 'I think we are' before getting cut off by Schieffer.

As Schieffer noted, Bill Clinton was recently giving Romney credit for his private sector experience. Clinton has since walked it back, but Axelrod defended the initial remarks by saying that Romney certainly qualifies to be president, whether or not one agrees with him.

Watch the video below, courtesy of CBS:

Follow us on Twitter.

Sign up for Mediaite's daily newsletter.

• The media asks such stupid questions. Exposing Mittwitts time at Bain is not negative, it's the truth.

• Schlieffer is an idiot.

  The Kantor study proves it.  70% of the Dems campaign ads have been positive, and 75% of the GOP's have been negative.

  To posit otherwise, or to whine on behalf of the GOP'its just stupid.

  Then again, the media wing of the GOP ( FOX ) is pretty good at playing the whiny victim'as they attack relentlessly.

  What a bunch of hypocrites.  As is the subject of this story!